Pope Leo XIV welcomes Católica at the Jubilee of the Educational World
Students and teachers from the Universidade Católica Portuguesa had the opportunity to meet Pope Leo XIV during the Jubilee of the World of Education, which took place in Rome and the Vatican between 27 October and 1 November.
Around 20 students, including Católica students participating in the Erasmus+ programme, attended the audience with His Holiness dedicated to the student population, one of the main moments of sharing during the jubilee event.
‘Being a pilgrim in this Jubilee Year of Hope was, for me, a clear opportunity for a new beginning. This new beginning became palpable as we passed through each of the Holy Doors of the basilicas of Rome and in the words of the Holy Father. In his meeting with the students, Pope Leo XIV called us to be ’people of our word and builders of peace". We returned with the challenge of listening to our inner restlessness and seeking ever more, aware that we were “made for something greater”," says Mariana Craveiro, one of the students who attended the meeting and who had already had the opportunity to meet and speak with Pope Francis during World Youth Day in Lisbon.
“Pope Francis had already reminded us that Christians must be ‘factories of hope, especially in these times of scarcity of meaning’. We returned from Rome with a commitment to bear witness to joy, faith and hope in all contexts of our University,” adds the recent psychology graduate, who now works with the Transversal Area of Social Economy on the Porto campus.
Several lecturers and the university's rectoral team also attended Pope Leo XIV's meeting with educators and trainers in St. Peter's Square. On this occasion, the rector, Isabel Capeloa Gil, greeted the Supreme Pontiff and presented him with a book from UCP Press.
The Universidade Católica Portuguesa had a strong academic and cultural representation at the Jubilee of the Educational World, the major event of the Holy Year dedicated to schools and universities around the world, with a delegation of 80 people, including students, alumni, the rector's team, lecturers and staff.
As an institution of higher education, it also participated in the international congress ‘Educational Constellations - A Pact with the Future’ and in the ‘Village of Education’, a meeting point for knowledge and experiences, with institutional spaces from various entities.
The presence of the Universidade Católica at the Jubilee of the Educational World, under the theme ‘Educating is an act of hope’, reinforces its commitment to educational excellence and the values that guide its mission. As Isabel Capeloa Gil emphasises, ‘The Universidade Católica Portuguesa is committed to the idea of education as a promise for the future, combining professional quality with innovation and aesthetic and social sensitivity’.
Photo credits: Pedro Marques Pereira